If you can access your home, take some colour samples in shades you like with you and check the light and aspect of each room, that can change colours, some rooms may be a little dull and need bright or cheering colours others may be hot and need cooling colours. It is very important you consider this before you start. Then choose ideas and colours you like and that suit your room, and then go shopping to see what is on the market and available. It is no use getting your mind set on a colour for example and then finding you can't get a fabric in that shade. Flooring will most likely be common to all rooms so you have to ensure the flooring you choose will work with all your planned colour schemes in each room. Check out all your options and things will then start to come together for you. When shopping pick up as many swatches and samples as you can, even take photos of ideas if you are able, it will all help. Most important thing is to take it slowly. Don't try to have it all done at once. Aim to choose your floor coverings, then have all your rooms painted, and floor coverings laid before you move in. Furniture and furnishings can be added at any time afterwards.

This arrangement works much better, but some adjustments are needed to make it work. First, the fireplace grouping needs to be tightened. It crowds the dining area and you need a passageway behind the couch. Turn the rug lengthwise, parallel to the fireplace. Pull the large couch about 2 1/2 feet closer to the fireplace, and place the two chairs and loveseat on the ends of the rug, and pull them closer together. This will give you a more intimate conversation area, and not impose on the other areas of the room. Remove that floor lamp from behind the couch. If you need the light in that area, put it by the fireplace. Also, the stereo system on the mantel needs to find another home. Maybe it can go IN the fireplace instead. At the other end of the room, I think the arrangement would look better if the seating were rotated 90 degrees. Keep the rug and coffee table in its current configuration, place the sofa either facing the window or with its back to the window, and put the two chairs opposite it. Finally, the dining area. Now that you've moved the big leather chairs, you should have enough room. Your rug is too small. It should be big enough to give you at least a 2 ft. border all the way around when the chairs are pushed in. And it's a really beautiful table; please uncover it. I can't see what kind of lighting that area has. It really needs a pendant or chandelier hanging directly over the table.

My revision based on the new pix. Still like the idea of a round foyer table in the large hallway. The dining area definitely needs to be moved near the kitchen where the tufted chairs and doors are. I'd anchor it with a rug that is at least 4 feet wider and longer than the table. It appears the tufted chairs have a matching sofa. I'm revising my 4-chair suggestion for the FP now, and suggest the sofa facing it and the two chairs between the FP and sofa facing the dining space which is now out in front of the kitchen door. Anchor that seating with its own large rug. In the end where the draperies are I'd use the two sofas facing each placed perpendicular to the windows, each 18" from the coffee table. The chairs can go at either end of the coffee table, one near the windows and the other with its back to the open room to form a closed conversational grouping. Loosen the drapes and let them fall loosely. Once the arrangement is worked out, we can tackle painting, if you want.

HI RinaI do agree I love jewelbox rooms, but I consider them more cosy ... and with a grey marble floor it goes all Versace Italianate! I am trying to balance the colours by bringing in a pattern on the covers rather than plain. I feel this will bring colour without overpowering the room. In the pictures I showed above, the rooms are basically neutral but the colour is brought in via pattern - I think this might be the way to go...Ideally a green or blue on a subdued grey would be the best, but I dont know what the market is like for Sumit...Cushions can do a lot to tie in the other white/grey elements.Shelley - navy is a good suggestion, but as Sumits area is quite tall and thin, trying to keep the general area light Any more suggestions most welcome. These are just ideas after all and Sumit will choose what works for the room in the end ;-)